If you have a sentence in Direct Speech (otseses kõnes), try to follow 5 steps to put the sentence into Reported Speech.
- Define the type of the sentence (statement, questions, command)
- What tense is used in the introductory sentence (in the present or in the past)?
- Do you have to change the person (pronoun)?
- Do you have to backshift the tenses?
- Do you have to change expressions of time and place?
- Direct Speech → Peter: “I work in the garden.”
- Reported Speech → Peter said (that)* he worked in the garden.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Simple forms | |
| Simple Present | Simple Past |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect |
| Present Perfect | |
| Past Perfect | |
| will | would |
| Progressive forms | |
| am/are/is | was/were |
| was/were | had been |
| has been | |
| had been | |
If you use Reported Speech there are mostly two main differences.
The introductory sentence in Reported Speech can be in the Present or in the Past.
If the introductory sentences is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of tenses.
If there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech, the tenses are shifted the following way.
